PICENTE: STATE AUDIT PRAISES COUNTY, SHOWS NEED FOR LONG-RANGE FISCAL ACTIONS
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., today announced that an audit from the Office of the State Comptroller has offered positive feedback on OneidaCounty’s actions to control spending and strengthen its financial position. Picente noted that the report also calls for actions to address potential declines in sales tax or state and federal revenue.

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. announced today that air samples taken from the Oneida County Office Building located at 800 Park Avenue, Utica, N.Y. have proven negative for presence of airborne asbestos fibers and that the County Office Building will reopen for business on Thursday, November 13, 2008.

A memorandum from the County Executive will be made available to all County Building Employees and additionally a copy of the analysis report is also available online.

PICENTE NAMES NEW AIRPORT COMMISSIONER
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., today announced that he is nominating W. Vernon Gray III, a U.S. Navy veteran with extensive air operations experience, as the Oneida County Airport Commissioner.

PICENTE SLAMS NYRI SILENCE
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. today criticized New York Regional Interconnect for its lack of response to his challenge that top NYRI officials visit Oneida County for face-to-face meetings about the power line project.

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., today announced that County Government will begin the application process for the newly created Cold War Veterans Tax Exemption in January of 2009.

PICENTE ANNOUNCES PRIMARY LEAD PREVENTION OUTREACH THAT TARGETS CHILDREN
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. today announced a series of puppet shows designed to teach pre-school and elementary school children about the dangers of lead poisoning. These shows will be staged throughout September as part of Oneida County’s Lead Primary Prevention Program.

PICENTE DECLARES SEPTEMBER YOUTH COURT MONTH
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., today announced that the Month of September has been designated a Youth Court Month in Oneida County in honor of the outstanding efforts put forth by the staff and volunteers of the Oneida County Youth Court, which is operated through the Oneida County Probation Department.

PICENTE: FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF TO HONOR WILLIAM BELLINGER
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., today announced that the flags at Oneida County’s buildings will be lowered to half staff in honor of William Bellinger, a long-time Oneida County Legislator and a former chairman of the Oneida County Board of Legislators who died last week.

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. was joined by school and community officials today for an official opening for three projects at the Utica Zoo built entirely by local teens as part of the Oneida County Summer Youth Employment Program.

PICENTE HONORS PAR GOVERNMENT, ROME RESEARCH; HIGHLIGHTS ACHIEVEMENTS OF COLLEGE INTERNSHIPS
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. today honored PAR Government Systems Corporation (PGSC) and Rome Research Corporation, subsidiaries of PAR Technology Corporation, for their outstanding and continuing efforts to support the future of Oneida County’s workforce by hiring more than 50 interns in the past 10 years through their participation the Oneida County College Corps Internship Program.

On Monday, August 4th, Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. will be joined by representatives of PAR Government Systems and Rome Research Corp. as well as the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce and Oneida County Board of Legislators to highlight the outstanding efforts of PAR Government / Rome Research to recruit interns to the area.

PICENTE: ONEIDA COUNTY TO RECEIVE SETTLEMENT IN MEDICAID DRUG PRICE FRAUD SUIT
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., today announced that Oneida County will receive approximately $116,947 as part of a settlement of its claims against Bristol-Myers Squibb. The settlement is a part of a nationwide settlement of similar claims that was negotiated by the County and by the State Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The settlement will bring New York State and its counties over $40 million and will return to Oneida County almost the full value of its claims against the company.

PICENTE ANNOUNCES ONEIDA COUNTY AGRI*CULTURE MAP DEBUT
Oneida County Executive, Anthony J. Picente, Jr. today announced the kick-off of a distribution effort to disperse 100,000 copies of the 28” x 40” Oneida County, New York Agri*Culture Map detailing agri-tourism opportunities in the county.

PICENTE: SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGING R&D CENTER SHOULD BE LOCATED IN ONEIDA COUNTY
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. today announced that he has written a letter to Gov. David Paterson calling for an advanced semiconductor packaging research and development center that will be built as part of a recently-announced IBM expansion project to be located in Oneida County. The facility is projected to cost $150 million to build and is estimated to create 675 permanent jobs.

PICENTE, TIMPANO ANNOUNCE ACTIONS TO BOLSTER ONEIDA COUNTY'S FISCAL STRENGTH
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., joined by Oneida County Comptroller Joseph Timpano, today announced that he is asking the Oneida County Board of Legislators to bolster the county’s fiscal position and increase its ability to take a stronger leadership position in economic development opportunities by allocating fund balance surplus from the 2007 fiscal year into several key accounts.

PICENTE ANNOUNCES EXCITING NEW YOUTH ACTIVITY
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., today announced a new addition to Oneida County ’s range of high-quality summer programming for youth as local communities and agencies gathered for an information session to highlight to exciting opportunities being offered at the Potato Hill FarmOutdoor Educational Center .

PICENTE: VOLUNTEERS TO PLANT FLOWERS AT COUNTY BUILDING
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. today announced that the Oneida County Office Building will blossom with flowers thanks to an outstanding intergenerational and community planting project organized by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County.

PICENTE CALLS ON STATE TO INVESTIGATE GAS PRICES
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., today announced that he has written New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to request an investigation into gasoline prices in Oneida County .

ONEIDA COUNTY CLOSES OUT STRONG 2007
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. and Oneida County Comptroller Joseph J. Timpano today announced that Oneida County closed out its fiscal year with a strong showing highlighted by reduced operating costs.

PICENTE ANNOUNCES LEAD PRIMARY PREVENTION PILOT GRANT
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. was joined today by Utica Mayor David Roefaro to announce a three year initiative designed to significantly reduce the incidence of childhood lead poisoning in ‘high risk’ areas of the county. This will be funded through a Lead Primary Prevention Pilot Grant awarded to the Oneida County Health Department.

PICENTE: STATE COST-SHIFTING HURTS COUNTIES
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. was joined today by leaders of other Central Upstate New York Counties and the New York State Association of Counties to denounce cost-shifting in the proposed 2008-2009 state budget that could force counties to either cut valuable services or raise taxes.

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. and District Attorney Scott McNamara today announced that Oneida County’s Ignition Interlock Program will begin on March 1, 2008 in order to be in compliance with New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law.

PICENTE ANNOUNCES MARCH 5TH INFORMATION SESSION ON JUDD ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. today announced that on March 5th, state and county officials will be presenting details about an upcoming $2 million highway rehabilitation project on Judd Road in the Town of Whitestown. The project will involve pavement rehabilitation in a section of Judd Road from Halsey Road to the New York State Thruway Bridge .

STANLEY THEATRE PROJECT RECEIVES $2.2 MILLIONOneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., speaks to supporters of the Stanley Theater in Utica during the announcement of a $2.2 million state grant to the Stanley that will help the Stanley restoration and expansion project.